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Ghost Town (2008)

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Bertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts.

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3 wins & 2 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
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Joseph Badalucco Jr. ...
Accident Bystander (as Joe Badalucco)
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Tyree Michael Simpson ...
Sneezy Cop (as Tyre Simpson)
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Sneezy Lady
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...
Upper East Side Lady
...
Bridget Moloney ...
Raymond J. Lee ...
Greenpeace Guy (as Raymond Lee)
Joey Mazzarino ...
Food Delivery Guy
Brad Oscar ...
Day Doorman
Kathleen Landis ...
Resident
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Storyline

Bertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen. That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle with spirited result. Written by Studio Approved Synopsis

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Dr. Bertram Pincus can see you now... See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

19 September 2008 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

La ville fantôme  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,012,315 (USA) (19 September 2008)

Gross:

$13,214,030 (USA) (7 November 2008)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The Beatles' "I'm Looking Through You" is used in the movie, one of the very few occasions where the original version of a Beatles song has been used in a film. See more »

Goofs

At the exhibition, when Gwen is conversing with Bertram, Gwen accidentally and briefly looks at Frank (standing in the foreground), realizes then turns away giving the appearance of an act of embarrassment. See more »

Quotes

Bertram Pincus: All work and no play makes Jack- a vital member of society.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Directly after the end titles fade to black, there is a brief outburst of near-hysterical laughter. See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Jay Leno Show: Episode #1.81 (2010) See more »

Soundtracks

String Quartet Op. 1 No. 6 in C - 4th Movement
Written by Joseph Haydn (as Franz Joseph Haydn)
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Delightful Little Film!!!
20 September 2008 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Ricky Gervais, the star of the British "The Office" and "Extras", is someone you wouldn't really expect to be on the big screen. Yet here he is, delivering an hilarious and heartfelt performance in what one would usually consider the most clichéd of genres: the romantic comedy.

In Ghost Town, Gervais plays Bertram Pincus, a socially awkward prick of a dentist who dies for seven minutes while going in for a routine colonoscopy. Through this miraculous experience he gains the annoying ability to see ghosts- all of whom want him to finish their business on Earth. In particular is Frank, the unfaithful husband of Gwen, a woman who lives in Bertram's building. Frank needs Bertram to separate Gwen from her new self-righteous do-gooder fiancé, and if Bertram can accomplish this Frank will make all the other ghosts go away.

Greg Kinnear and the wonderful Tea Leoni round out the lead characters as Frank and Gwen. All three (Gervais, Kinnear, and Leoni) get big laughs and are utterly charming. Indeed, it is no overstatement to call Ghost Town riotously funny- the laughs come big and often. Too often it turns out, because when Ghost Town tries to stray into the more dramatic or tender areas of the story it feels somewhat awkward and forced. The mistake was made of focusing too much on broad hilarity, so that when the movie really attempts to focus on story it seems strange that the humor is suddenly gone. The film never becomes anything more than just a silly little trifle.

Yet there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. What we get is a thoroughly entertaining tale with a fascinating lead character. Add in the performances of the three leads and you have a fully satisfying movie-going experience. I would probably give this film a 7.5 rating, but since that isn't allowed and I'm not feeling an 8, I'll go with- 7/10 stars!!!

Jay Addison


84 of 110 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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